'Give as you can': New Mpls restaurant aims to serve all

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A new restaurant opening next month in south Minneapolis puts an unusual spin on pricing.

With a “give as you can” policy, the owner says she's putting people over profits and hopes that it's the recipe for success.

Near the corner of Harriet Avenue and West Lake Street in the Lyn-Lake neighborhood, one woman’s dream is beginning to take shape.

After more than a decade in the food industry, Anna Wienke is stepping out on her own to build a high quality dining experience for all.

“It’s a little surreal, I have to say,” Wienke said.

Provision Community Restaurant is a nonprofit that will serve up hot meals, including vegetarian and gluten-free. If a customer has even a very small amount to give, that’s just fine.

Wienke said that 90 percent of their food will be donated, and the waiters and prep cooks are all volunteers. 

“We have diversified our sources of revenue - the big one being the food – [so] we won’t be purchasing much of that. Also, we’ve been fundraising…getting contributions from individuals, from corporate sponsors,” she said.

Dishing out a dining experience for all, Wienke believes she has the ingredients for success.

“I believe in people, and I believe that every person has something in them and something to contribute to the community,” she said. 

Provision Community Restaurant is expected to open in late July.